The European honey buzzard (Pernis apivorus) as an ally for the control of the invasive yellow-legged hornet (Vespa velutina nigrithorax).

Background: Biological control in integrated pest management (IPM) often overlooked avian predators until the emergence of the ecosystem services approach. Birds are now recognized as key regulators of pest populations in agroforestry landscapes due to their high mobility. The invasive yellow-legged hornet, introduced into Europe in 2004, threatens agriculture, beekeeping and native pollinators.

Long-term insect successional patterns on pig carcasses in central Spain.

Baseline data on the insect successional patterns on carcasses can be a valuable estimation tool in the investigations of suspicious deaths, particularly when the post-mortem interval is longer than months or years. However, although carrion insect succession is a recurrent topic in forensic science research, the duration of the published studies is typically shorter than 1 year, with only one published study from central Europe documenting successional patterns beyond the first year of decomposition. We provide here the first data on the long-term insect successional patterns in southern Europe, using pig carcasses exposed in the four seasons of the year and documenting the carrion entomofauna during the second and third year of decomposition.

Larval identification key to necrophagous Coleoptera of medico-legal importance in the western Palaearctic.

Several necrophagous Coleoptera species are frequently collected on cadavers, may occasionally act as intermediate or paratenic hosts of parasites, as vectors of pathogens or as allergens, and can also represent major pests of preserved animal products. However, despite their medical, veterinary and economic importance, there is a lack of reliable species identification tools for the larval stages (usually the only entomological evidence associated with medicolegal investigations), thus severely limiting their potential application as forensic indicators. Here, we provide an identification key to the larvae of the necrophagous Coleoptera species which have been recorded on carrion in the western Palaearctic region, based on easily observable morphological characters.

Annual variation in decomposition and insect succession at a periurban area of central Iberian Peninsula.

The variation in decomposition and insect succession among the four seasons of one year was studied for the first time in a periurban area of central Spain. During the winter trial, the carcasses showed corification, a cadaveric preservation phenomenon which apparently leaded to a significant delay in decomposition processes. The composition of the insect fauna breeding on carcasses changed significantly between trials.

Early colonisation of urban indoor carcasses by blow flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae): An experimental study from central Spain.

Due to their ubiquity and synanthropy, blow flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) are generally the first colonisers of cadavers and, therefore, frequently used to estimate a minimum post-mortem interval (PMI). Whereas in outdoor situations blow flies are expected to locate and colonise exposed cadavers within hours or even minutes after death, it is usually assumed that the colonisation of a cadaver indoors might be delayed for an uncertain period of time. This uncertainty severely limits the informativity of PMI estimates based on entomological evidence.

Effect of Temperature on the Survival and Development of Three Forensically Relevant Dermestes Species (Coleoptera: Dermestidae).

Most Dermestes species (Coleoptera: Dermestidae) are scavengers during both larval and adult stages, with a preference for dry organic matter. Because of this, Dermestes beetles are potentially useful indicators in forensic investigations concerning skeletonized and mummified human remains. However, there is a paucity of reference developmental data on most forensically relevant Dermestes species.

Necrophilous Histerid Beetle Communities (Coleoptera: Histeridae) in Central Spain: Species Composition and Habitat Preferences.

Despite the applied importance of necrophilous histerid beetles, their communities and habitat preferences had not been characterized in the Iberian Peninsula. The current article describes the composition of those communities in seven types of natural habitats along a bioclimatical gradient in central Spain, describing and discussing the habitat preferences and niche breadths of the most abundant species. In total, 25 species of necrophilous Histeridae were collected using carrion-baited traps.

Preliminary data on carrion insects in urban (indoor and outdoor) and periurban environments in central Spain.

Although most cases involving entomological evidence occur in urban environments and under indoor conditions, there is a lack of studies determining the insect fauna of forensic importance in those environments. In the current paper we provide the first data on the composition of the forensically important insect species occurring in periurban and both indoor and outdoor urban environments in central Spain. Insects were collected fortnightly by means of carrion-baited traps, uninterruptedly during one year.

The immature stages of the necrophagous fly, Prochyliza nigrimana: comparison with Piophila casei and medicolegal considerations (Diptera: Piophilidae).

Flies of family Piophilidae have been recorded as major pests in the food industry, as agents of human myiasis and typically associated with carcasses in advanced stages of decay, being thus important in forensic entomology. Despite that the cosmopolitan species Piophila casei is the most cited in entomological studies, many other piophilid species develop on both carrion and animal products from the food industry. One of those species is Prochyliza nigrimana, widely distributed throughout the Holarctic and Neotropical regions.